Duval County

Local school districts plan to keep COVID-19 at bay as they reopen for in-person learning

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In just a few weeks most students will return to the classroom — in person.

For some kids, it’ll be the first time in more than a year.

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Kids younger than 12 years of age can’t be vaccinated against COVID-19, so local school districts are coming up with game plans on how to reduce the spread of the virus as kids head back to school.

”When school starts, if there’s no vaccination mandate in place, we need to look at vaccination rate and look at the percent-positivity of COVID in our community,” Action News Jax medical expert Dr. Michelle Aquino said.

“If the numbers are down and COVID is controlled -- great, then we might not need to be wearing masks. But I think right now, if schools were starting tomorrow, I would say if I have a child going to school, they are wearing a mask.”

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Three local school districts in Action News Jax’s viewing area shared planned changes for the new school year.

St. Johns County Schools will allow masks to be optional, isolation rooms will be available for sick students, and desk shields will no longer be mandatory in classrooms.

Duval County Public Schools is also letting masks be optional in the new school year, and the district will be doing away with temperature checks, as well as adding Duval Virtual Instruction Academy as an option for students who want to continue their education virtually.

Finally, Clay County Schools shared plans in the works that have yet to be approved. The district would allow masks to be optional, limit the number of parents and volunteers at school by taking appointments, and offer isolation rooms for sick students.

Aquino offers advice to parents whose students cannot be vaccinated:

”You need to do the best you can to keep them safe. Have everyone that can be vaccinated, be vaccinated, the other part that helps is masks. Masks right now are extremely important,” she said.

A vast majority of local school districts are still creating their back-to-school plans. Check back on this story for developments.

Wolfson Children’s Hospital told Action News Jax as of Friday there were nine children in the hospital with COVID-19.